English Premiership side Northampton Saints yesterday confirmed the signing of Sharks and Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach.
According to the release, Reinach will join the Midlands club for the 2017/18 season, we assume on completion of the current Sharks Super Rugby campaign. We’re awaiting confirmation of this move from the Sharks, as well as an indication as to what it means in terms of Cobus’s current commitments.
Another player in a similar situation is prop Lourens Adriaanse, who has been announced as a new signing by French club Section Paloise (Pau). Again, without confirmation from Durban, we can probably assume that he will join Reinach in leaving on completion of the campaign.
The Sharks will need to make moves to replace these players, both in positions in which depth is thin. While nothing has been said officially, it is clear that Stefan Ungerer is unlikely to feature again, meaning the Sharks will have no experienced scrumhalf cover beyond 34-year-old Michael Claassens once Reinach does leave. Tighthead prop looks similarly bare: Coenie Oosthuizen’s recent renaissance in the position notwithstanding, the Sharks boast only the untried Johnny Meyer and Enoch Mnyaka as backup options, with little coming through in the way of youth.
One has to feel for Rob du Preez and the other coaches, whose plans to build a team capable of winning Super Rugby are hampered by players leaving in droves at the end of each campaign.
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we should be looking at recruiting either James Hall / Cameron Wright again, or even better both of them, since Claasens wont have a lot left in the tank after this season
a replacement for Lourens might be another thing all togheter
@HB (Comment 1) : I am working mega hard on Wright, trust me. I think Hall has committed himself to France.
The politics of dancing…….to the Euro. But it’s the pro era now for decades, so nothing wrong to go for a “company” that pays more (clichéd I know)
@HB (Comment 1) : Closer to home we could do a lot worse than bringing Tiaan Meyer back
@robdylan (Comment 2) : just say if you need help, can always send him nice pictures of te beach ext what he is currently missing
The Kings really screwed Hall over, think that made his mind up for him
@The hound (Comment 4) : would agree with you, must honestly say not sure how old he is and how long he has left, but could also be a great addition if we can’t get it sorted with Wright
This European Exodus is starting to really piss me off. and SARU is doing absolutely nothing to protect our game. People that deserve Springbok contracts aren’t getting them and some have contracts yet they haven’t played meaningful rugby in a very long time. I cant wait to hear what the room dividers have to say about this later today, especially since Coetzee has been confirmed.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : what happend to the Namibian SH we recruited before CC, is he any good? is he still with us or did he depart?
Massive loss for the Sharks, but I do not blame Reinach. His service to the Sharks has been of good quality. Any chances of getting McLeod back on Durban shores?
@boertjie101 (Comment 8) : think Mcloed is a bit old now, rather get in 1/2 new youngsters
@AYA11 (Comment 6) :
Do you think that Reinach deserves a Bok contract?
@robdylan (Comment 2) : please oh please do cause that will fix the biggest problem at the Sharks since RK left
Not directly related to the article but our depth concerns again highlights that we have at least one too may Super Rugby teams.
@HB (Comment 5) : He is 28,in 2013 he had two fantastic games for the Sharks and was badly injured,I think he broke his leg.In his absence,McCloud surfaced and then Reinarch,and he never got a look in again.
I remember him as a schoolboy at Westville,Chadwhich,Brynand Stander,Mickelwood,Hadebe era all coached by Reese,he was the best of the lot.
@Loosehead (Comment 10) : He is by no means the best article we have right now. but in the current pecking order in the country right now. He is right up there when fit.
@The hound (Comment 13) : he also had a great season last year for the Cheethas, so would tend to agree with you, he is still in his prime and can add a lot, what I have seen from him is also quick ball to the backs, with the odd snipe, which makes the opposition guessing
what should assist him a bit in rounding his complete game off is being coached by RDP
@HB (Comment 15) : He has also captained the Cheetahs on a couple of occasions.
have any of you guys read the report on Supersport about SA players in Europe and what they did for their clubs on the weekend,
they have there with it from which unions in SA they hail from, it is shocking to see how many Sharks player have left over the last couple of years, as most of them that is doing good is Ex- Sharks
@The hound (Comment 16) : he did, and that means he has leader ship qualities in him, which should also bring a cool head on his shoulders, that can only help on the field
if we can get Meyer and wright, we should be okay for a while on SH i think
@HB (Comment 18) : Michael Claassens is not going to want to retire just yet ,with 5 children under the age of 3.
@HB (Comment 5) : not the Kings but his agent – if I remember it is the same one Goosen uses. I have it on direct authority Hall’s agent lied to Kings and used them to get a better deal in france, hence they had to scramble to get Schreuder.
So be careful around Hall…
@HB (Comment 1) : Kings given the final execution yesterday by SARU so players that will be available during / after SR:
CJ Velleman
Ross Geldenhuys
Schalk van der Merwe
Irne Herbst
Yaw Penxe
@The hound (Comment 19) : was joking about that the other day with some mates, must be the reasons he spends the amount of time at practice, I take my hat of to him, just imagine how he must feel at night after entertaining the 5 of them
@Kabouter (Comment 20) : did not know he has the same agent as Goosen, so a red flag that must go up there 😯
but now i know why he did what he did with the kings, making sense to me
@robdylan (Comment 2) : @The hound (Comment 19) : @Kabouter (Comment 21) : did you guys see the match officials for the weekend is announced, not sure what to make of our game
@HB (Comment 23) : yip, just received confirmation that same agent is involved, although it is a bit more complex 😈 dont understand all the detail but sounds like he is not allowed to operate in South Africa directly and it becomes a twisted web
some agents really are screwing everyone just to line their own pocket
@HB (Comment 24) : I dont rate the Aus refs so it will be interesting to see if the Sharks can adapt better and quicker this time round. Far too many penalties and just gave Reds momentum
@Kabouter (Comment 25) : making one wonder why a player will have such a guy as a agent when is not even allowed to operate in SA ❓
some guys using the players like ponzi sceem just make money for them selves and not giving a damn about the player and his future, the players future will also actually benefit the agent
@The hound (Comment 13) : two Currie Cup games. Tian Meyer has on about three occasions sat on the Super Rugby bench for the Sharks without ever getting a cap.
@Kabouter (Comment 20) : no, that’s not actually true.
Hall is represented by World Artists. The agency that engineered Goosen’s Racing exit was Essentially Group.
@robdylan (Comment 29) : the confusion is understandable because Goosen was with World Arists at the time he signed the Racing extension, but then left them to join Essentially
@The hound (Comment 19) : the way and pace he plays seems as if he has retired
Well that news is about as pleasant as a baboon’s backside
@robdylan (Comment 30) : excellent, thanks for the clearing of confusion. maybe Kings dealt with the wrong agents hence he never replied 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
@Kabouter (Comment 33) : Kings aren’t the only local team who thought they had a deal with Hall, according to my info,
just when I thought we were too critical of the young man and his choice in agency….
Sad to loss either of them but both being out of Bokke favour it’s not hard to understand why they would move to Europe!!
Cobus will be missed but personally I think Adriaanse is a way bigger loss as he’s probably the best scrumming no3 in SA.
We need Wors and Maks back in SA to help at tighthead. Scrummie is another thing altogether.
@Grasshopper (Comment 37) : can’t see either of them coming back soon!